Arthur's choice
by crying-harper
Summary: Merlin has a thorough discussion with Kilgharrah about one half of the task still missing.  Then Morgana plots anew. Beginning of season 4. References to the poem "The Lady of Shalott" by Lord Alfred Tennyson.
1. Prologue: Halfway

After "The coming of Arthur": "Arthur's choice";

(This prologue is my first fan fiction ever written down but not in my mind, of course. I wrote it in a kind of a rush, but I guess this will be continued.)

I hope you will enjoy it. Reviews, helpful and useful criticism or language corrections are welcomed! For details about me, please read my updated profile. Thanks.

Disclaimer: at the end of each chapter, for not revealing too much!

**Prologue: "Halfway":**

"Merlin, M E R L I N", urges a voice in his head, arising him from sleep. "Come to me", says the familiar magical voice of the dragon in Merlin's mind with an insisting undertone.

Merlin puts on his shirt and shoes and opens the door softly to peep for Gaius. But there is no need to worry. Gaius' snores indicate that he is deeply asleep.

Passing Gaius, the guards in the hallway and the rest of the way through the castle has become nearly quite a routine to Merlin. No severe problems occur to him for arriving at the clearing in the wood. There a significant shaped shadow awaits him.

"You surprise me, young Merlin", the dragon greets him with an undertone.

"What, what is it?" Merlin has no patience for riddles at the moment.

"Your freeing me is only one part of the bargain. I thought the second one should also be in your interest." He pauses, but Merlin doesn't respond. "You're halfway up the stairs to your aim, Merlin. To our aim. So, you think Arthur trusts you. But he only knows half of your truth, Merlin! How can you claim to be a trustworthy person within his Council when he doesn't know the other side! How dare you! It's all or nothing, now and again. The sooner you take your chance, the better for the likes of you and me!"

"I just wait for things to settle a bit and for kind of a chance."

Kilgharrah snorts. "Chances. Take your chance! If you don't start acting, it might be done by someone else!"

"What do you mean, explain yourself!"

"I already did! Act know, or things will act for you!" With these words Kilgharrah starts to unfold his wings and flaps.

"But how?" screams Merlin against the airy noise.

"That will be up to you, young one", answers the dragon and ascends up to the sky, leaving Merlin confused.

Disclaimer:

All characters in the story belong to the creators of "Merlin" by BBC One and their affiliates except for the ones which will be mentioned here at the end of future chapters.


	2. Chapter 1: Catch a thief

Disclaimer: at the end of this chapter, for not revealing too much!

Reviews, helpful and useful criticism or language corrections are welcomed!

For details about me, please read my updated profile. Thanks.

**CHAPTER 1: "Catch a thief":**

Merlin just runs into Arthur in the hallway to the throne room.

"Arthur, we need ..." Merlin starts, but is abruptly interrupted by Arthur's instruction.

"Merlin, get the Council of the Round Table together. We need to talk. Hurry up."

"Yes, sire", he answers and turns on his heels.

"Merlin", Arthur calls from behind, "haven't you forgotten anything?"

"Sire?" This time his face needn't to pretend to be simple-minded.

"Where is your mind, Merlin?"

Silently Merlin asks himself where Arhur's is, not even remembering he had a request. But as usual, he keeps quiet and just smiles back.

"Only Gwen, Lancelot and Gwaine are still missing. The others are already around the table."

"Which has to be taken literally", Merlin thinks, since one of Arthur's first actions was to replace the long table by the round one from the castle of the ancient kings. Three months passed by since Morgana's defeat.

Aloud he says: "I'm on my way", and heads for it.

On his way, the first – an most approximately the easiest – one to find is Gwen. As estimated, his first guess proves right when he knocks on Uther's room door and receives a "Who's there?" from inside.

Definitively Gwen's voice. Gwen, who cares for Uther motherly since his mind has been diving in elsewhere realities. Arthur and the knights found him straying in the woods after he had been lost.

"Merlin." he replies. "Arthur wants to see us all at the table, urgently."

"Alright, I'll be there in a few moments. I just have to call for Julia to take things over."

"I'll fetch the others. See you", he answers and Merlin hurries off again.

His first guess proves wrong, even this early of the day. But Gwaine was definitively NOT in the tavern. He had also passed the blacksmith, with whom he used to have overall discussions about everything, everyone and nothing. Gwen has been earning a bit of money to hire her father's workshop out to a new one.

"It's still saddening me not to see her father standing there anymore", Merlin thinks. "Back to the issue", he reminds himself, "No Gwaine in there, too."

"What is it? May I help you?"

Merlin hadn't noticed that the blacksmith stopped his work and just for the moment his mind refuses to remember the man's name.

"Uh, have you seen Gwaine, or maybe Lancelot? It's urgent. The king, you know", he states a bit out of breath and steps toward the broad man.

Merlin receives a laughing answer. "Yes, I really did." The blacksmith wipes away the sweat on his forehead with his forearm, the hammer still in hand.

Merlin sighed.

"Haven't you heard of?"

"What?" asks Merlin.

"They were on some errand, as they witnessed how a thief stole Lord Ambrosius' purchase of a roll of cloths on the market. They followed him further down the Lower Town. I haven't seen them since, but they produced quite a mass up there. It's not that long ago."

"Thank you", Merlin replies and runs as fast as he can.

"How in the world am I be able to find them?" Merlin tosses this question over and over in his mind. While running, the streets and houses become more and more clutched together, made of wood and brick-earth than of stone. Only the better ones are timbered. Gay fall colors decorate the country and the city. People are busy to go and safe the last winter stocks.

There he reaches the market place. At this time of the day, it is highly frequented. Merlin stops and glances around. Busy people pass him by or fulfill their job on the market. There! Just a glance between people, but he had just seen a maid sweeping broken earthenware on the ground.

He closes his eyes to concentrate and to conceal. He lets the magical flow filter to the kaleidoscope of voices, sounding like a swarm of bees.

"Three silver coins. My last word. I will give you no more!"

"Will you re-arrange the bigger ones to the back, for that all can be seen, won't you?"

"All ruined! Who will compensate me for this mass!"

"Ah", Merlin thinks, letting the magic ebb. Oping his eyes to where magic guided him to, he just looks to the maid and her pottery master. "I 'm going to complain to the seneschal. You will stay here and manage what is left to sell!" he overhears him. The girl only nods in reply.

"That doesn't bring me any nearer to them", he muses. He swallows a cursed word.

He goes on and half crosses the front part of the place, but no further hints were given obviously.

Merlin finishes his crossing, enters a side street and hides himself in a door entrance.

Turning himself to the wooden door for hiding, he half closed his eyes and searches for magic and the inner well of its concentration within him.

"Lancelot." He lets out the magical whisper to stray like grain in the wind, softly seeking only for the one and single mind that fits. "Lancelot, where are you?" Even in the form of a magical thought his voice sounds of his own.

Merlin knows that only the second of Lancelot's reckoning bears the chance to find him as the knight will never be able to answer this way. There, the thought hits its aim! Just for a moment, than the seek is blown out like a candle in the storm.

Just in the opposite direction they've run! Now it is Merlin's turn to run and to leave his part of causing confusion on the market. Geese shoo out of his way and half a dozen steps further he falls over a basket of apples right into a pile of lamb's wool in a clothes basket. He drags along a wooden stand of dyed wool to the ground with the fall.

Besides, the elderly woman startles from her spinning wheel, but fortunately Merlin is able to come up sooner than she is able to recover from her shock.

He rises and scatters all over, spitting some of the fuzzy and oily stuff on the ground, right in front of the woman's shoes!

Before he manages to give it a second thought, he prefers having a run for it.

Like a hare he has to crouch and run in a zig-zag pattern to avoid all the reaching hands for him.

More than once his shirt or trousers give way and now one of the crowd's people is the new owner of a patch of his.

"Merlin!"

A sonorous voice shouts over the noise. One can not mistaken Lancelot's voice.

Merlin sighs relieved. Arms are retrieved.

He is freed now to stand up straight again, bruised and dirt-spotted all over. No more running for cover. Boldly he meets Lancelot's eyes, a slight smile on his face.

"What about this one to haze?" asks Lancelot, looking sternly to meet eyes with everyone in the crowd. Gwaine stands behind him, leading a captivated man flanked by two of the city guards.

The only answers they give him are mumbling and pointing at the mass around them.

"You will be compensated. Present your losses to the seneschal of Camelot and he will more than make up for it! Merlin!" he turns to him, "Will you bear in mind their faces?"

Merlin gasps and nods hastily. "More or less, yes."

Gwaine behind Lancelot's nods to Merlin supportively. "You will", his lips form the words without a sound.

"Then come on. Let's not delay any further. The king's waiting for us at the Round Table. Come on!" Merlin says.

Only now Merlin realizes the bundle under Lancelot's left arm as they walk on. The crowd parts before them.

Lancelot notices his glance. "Later. Hurry up, Merlin. Go."

"I'm on my way", Merlin answers, but thinks "Why do they all repeat those very words to me!" He rolls eyes and goes with them.

**xxx**

Just at the gates of Camelot Gwaine hands their prisoner over to the knights guarding there and dismisses the city guards with thanks.

While Gwaine is busy, Merlin uses the advantage to ask Lancelot: "Is this Lord Ambrosius Rosedale's roll of cloth?"

"Yes", Lancelot states.

"But where is he?"

"That's a very good question, Merlin. But none to answer for now. Here." and with these very words he turns the bundle to Merlin.

"What?" As an instinctive reaction, Merlin grasps it.

"Don't know what to do with it until we can give it to its owner."

"Why should a thief steal some cloth? For sewing his beloved a new skirt? I doubt that" and flips open the wrapping and covering cloth.

To see a wonderful linen, so smoothly woven, that the threads blurred like water reflecting the sunlight. As he watched, the reflection swirled in rainbow colors to – show Morgana's and another woman's face! The latter he had never seen before! Both smile at him mischievously.

In kind of a shock, he closes the covering cloth.

"Merlin", Lancelot insists, his eyebrows risen.

"Nothing. Can't understand what's so special about it." he adds quickly.

Lancelot's replying look speaks more than thousands words of how truly he takes this statement of his. Just at this very moment, Gwaine returns to them.

"Come on. The King's waiting." Gwaine reminds them and they head for the throne room at a good pace.

**Xxx**

"Where have you been?" Arthur growls.

They are the latest to arrive. Gwen, Gaius, Sir Parcival, Sir Ellyan and Sir Leon are already sitting around the table.

"We had heard of troubles from thieves on the marketplace and one we could capture." Lancelot reports to his king.

A disdainful look from Arthur went down on Merlin from head to toes. "You smell like damp fur, Merlin. Where... Forget it", he interrupts himself. "Sit down please. We have more urgent issues to discuss."

They follow his instruction. Merlin hastily tries to conceal the roll of cloth unobtrusively on his lap. Successfully, as it goes.

Arhur continues. "As some of you have witnessed this morning, and some of you not", he gives Gwaine, Lancelot and Merlin a dispraising look, "an administrative from a border village to Alba returned injured to report that the whole country side up there is raided by villains who use", he takes in a deep breath, "magic." He speaks the word slowly.

"Whole villages and fields are erased and inflamed within the blink of an eye. The poor man told me whole groups attacked, not only a single person. Who they are, he could not tell for he had been to far away to recognize." He pauses to let the matter sink and takes in a deep breath.

"Gwen and Sir Leon, I ask you to maintain position and tasks here together." Arthur meets their very eyes and turns to Gaius: "Please support them, as you have always been doing for father and me, Gaius."

Gaius nodded grievously. "Is there any hint that ..."

Not letting him finish, Arthur shakes his head. "The rest of us will in pairs lead two dozen soldiers to investigate and find those attackers – and hopefully a way to fight them.

Gwen, Sir Leon and Gaius, meanwhile you are to arrange forces here and to organize for being sieged."

"Yes, sire", Sir Leon affirms. Gwen and Gaius nod with suppressed lips.

"We're going to leave in two hours, so we will place some distance between here until dusk. Arrange for it. Gaius, I am thankful for any additional help you may think of."

Gaius nodded.

"That's it. We will meet at the solar clock." He stands up and they afterimage him.

"For the safety of Albion. Stay vigilant. Be nice that there will be a castle for me to return to!"

Arthur comments to Sir Leon, half kidding, half truly worried.

"With all my heart, strength and soul." He replies seriously.

"Me, too", Gwen assures.

"And me", admits Gaius.

"So it be. Know that you fight for our future and that I trust you all."

Silently they all go their way. Merlin crouched a bit, trying to cover the roll in his hands.

"Merlin, you are to stay with me."

"But Gaius and the seneschal" he starts to say.

"What about the seneschal?" Arthur wants to know.

"Ehm, I'm bound to attend him for compensations of the thief's chaos tomorrow morning."

"Write a list for the seneschal, that'll do. For Gaius, he is quite able to do without you."

"As you command, my king." Merlin bows slightly, still the roll holding in his hands and hindering him. Coming up again, he turns to Gaius and hands him the bundle over.

"What is it?" Gaius asks looking at it.

"Lord Ambrosius' stolen purchase. But we haven't seen him since. So you should investigate if time lets you." he insists and really hopes for his undertone to make the hint clearly. "Dark hours are rising above Albion."

Arthur gets impatiently. "Merlin, there is no time for poetry. Say your farewells when you're going to pack your things!"

They quickly exchange the roll into Gaius's arms. Merlin just thinks he receives a brief sizzle from it, but not for sure, as he takes it over to Gaius.

Then Arthur and he leave the throne room.

As soon as they are alone in the king's chamber, Arthur turns to Merlin: "Where have you been this morning, so I'd have known!"

"Perfect. He's angry" Merlin thinks. "Why do all people repeat the same words to me again and again."

"In the woods", he answers instead, proud of himself not to tell a lie. He hopes for Arthur not having the opportunity again to have a word with Gaius about it.

"Well then. Hurry up to get packed."

"See", Merlin thinks and sighs, as he does as he is told.

Disclaimer:All characters in the story belong to the creators of "Merlin" by BBC One and their affiliates except for the ones which are mentioned here for "Arthur's choice" – Chapter 1: "Catch a thief": Julia and Lord Ambrosius of Rosedale.


	3. Chapter2: The parting of the Round Table

Disclaimer: at the end of this chapter, for not revealing too much!

I hope you will enjoy it.

Reviews, helpful and useful criticism or language corrections are welcomed! For details about me, please read my updated profile. Thanks.

One dialogue in chapter 2 "Take a thief" had to be changed slightly (The one between Merlin and Lancelot to hurry up after the theft). Please excuse, for it is my first try here.

**CHAPTER 3: "The parting of the Round Table":**

Mordred watches from the wooden balcony of the inn, as the hired thief is captured. "That one will do." he thinks.

Mordred pats his shouldered bag slightly. Like a child's shadow who just plays 'hide and seek', Mordred slips through rooms and crowds of people. All the while they ignore him all, as he scampers around, a memory not to be grasped at the corner of their minds.

**XXX**

"Wonderful", Morgana comments to Móirín at her side, looking up from the fading picture of Arthur at the Round Table reflected by the bubbling surface of the springing well. "Like dogs, they are following my treacherous call as planned."

"But they have the web and will soon learn its purpose. Lord Ambrosius is one to change sides when it comes to pressure. For his heart still believes in an alternative change." The woman addressed as Móirín brings up.

"Surely, Lord Ambrosius would have rather died than knowing to give the webs into the hands of a foe to Camelot, even if we had threatened him to reveal his real profession and love", Morgana comments.

"He has fulfilled his task, we don't need him anymore. As well as the Lady of Shallot. Mordred will handle the rest for us, trust him. We'll concentrate on Arthur's arriving here. That will be just fine. Arthur's trust in people will proceed his doom." She looked at her with a smirk. "Fitting, don't you think?"

"Indeed, my friend. It more than fits to change the positions this way of the game. Payback has already started and we're ready to play" Móirín answers contently.

**XXX**

Gaius closes the door firmly and puts the roll of cloth onto a free space of his table. He turns over the covering cloth and looks at an intricate, fine woven roll of linen with a slightly silver shimmering glint.

"Something Merlin tried to tell me and I've got to find out soon. Time slips through our fingers." he thinks. He looks to his door and window again just to make sure. Then he outstretches his hand above the cloth and keeps it there with stiff fingers flying like a hawk over prey.

"Assurath, crath aghle", he whisperes. His eyes flashed in an amber light for an instance. The linen turns pitch black as the night!

A whisper arises like a breeze in the wind:

_"You have been watched with magic's eye,_

_as soon as the darkness will die._

_But watch out, magic here is not hidden,_

_to see yours is not forbidden."_

Just for the blink of an eye, he sees Morgana and a non-familiar woman looking at a reflecting water pool smiling at him. He overcomes his first shock and pulls the cover over it again.

He ponders what he has just seen and then goes to a chest at his bed. He takes a small and a bigger bag out of it and searches its content, browsing through the room and adding herbs, caskets, potions and small pouches here and then.

Until the door swings open and a still shaggy Merlin faces him.

Gaius grimaces. "Change your clothes and start packing your things", Gaius says with a supporting gesture of his head to Merlin's room door. "I will soon be finished with those."

"What is it", Merlin wants to know.

"Mine and yours accomplishments for helping Arthur. Or so I hope for. I'll tell you when I'm finished. Oh, Merlin, don't forget to use a handful of water out of the washing bowl before dressing anew! That much time is left!"

Merlin rolls his eyes and heads for his room door.

**XXX**

The trumpet horn signaled the melody for "rally"over the palace and its courtyard. Relatively, it interrupted the conversations for a few moments. But only a few.

Merlin had hoped for having a few words with Arthur alone while packing his things. Besides the arrangements Arthur had to finish, Merlin hadn't counted for all those members of the royal household who requested "just one last word with you, Sire." While Arthur managed to cut them off quickly or to throw them out on their heels, he gave his packing orders to Merlin in between.

"I wonder if I'll still have time to conclude my open tasks", Merlin fears.

**XXX**

"The magic woven into the cloth reveals the revealing magic which is cast upon the caster himself, if there has been any, of course. It can only be activated by people who are talented in magical power or by a magical item." Gaius comments to a freshly washed and dressed Merlin.

"I had a blink of an image showing Morgana and another woman." Merlin confesses to his Mentor.

"Me too. Did you use a spell?"

"No."

"Mh." Gaius contemplates thoughtfully.

"But why should Lord Ambrosius take so many risks in gaining it? I doubt that he has that high a hidden power of magic, so there must be an artifact hidden. You've got to find and talk to him as soon as possible and get out of him what's this all about."

"I will Merlin, I will try my very best." He pauses, and then continues: "You've got to write the list for the seneschal."

"Ahm, yes", Merlin admits and goes for paper, ink pot and feather. He hurriedly writes still standing. It reads as follows in nearly unreadable writing:

_To Lord Angus of Dorn, Seneschal of Camelot,_

_Witnessed by Sir Lancelot and Sir Gwaine, I excuse and plea for compensations of damages made by me on an urgent errand for the king._

_Rightful claimers are_

_ the owner of one or two loose gone goose,_

_ the owner of a basket full of apples,_

_ a spinner for a basket of lamb's wool and for a shelf of dyed and spindled wool,_

_ the pottery master of the palace for broken earthenware._

_That is for what I can remember. I am honestly sorry._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Merlin_

_apprentice of Gaius, the kings' physician_

Merlin leaves it for Gaius to read. His Mentor gets through it quickly.

"That list of yours could make more people happy than mentioned on it!" Gaius stats.

"Right. Even if Arthur had to eat porridge instead of lamb, it wouldn't harm him for this sake, would it?" Merlin grins at him ambiguously.

"So what about your preparations for our journeying and foes?"

"Well, the big bag contains my usual healing stuff, including bandages, herbs and potions." He whispers into Merlin's ears in a low voice: "Those potions in the small crest are magically supported, just a bit." He winks. "The small bag contains things to fight foe, enemies and bewitched alike. Alchemical balls which out-pour a stinging and blinding fog when crashed. Phials to throw with Alchemist's fire. Additionally, antidotes or counter-scrolls for magical affection are included as well as poison. Hide and use it well, then. Most of it I used to carry with me journeying with Uther in my youth."

"I appreciate that, thank you." Merlin answers.

**XXX**

"Off now, you go now, all! Have I made myself clear?" Arthur dismisses all administrators and requester out of his room. "Anything left will be dealt by Sir Leon."

A murmuring of "Yes, sire", "Good luck, sire." "Save our kingdom." and "As you wish, sire." follows hushed footsteps of bowing people.

Arthur takes a deep breath as suddenly his room stays quite. Looking out of the window once, he turns to his last, inevitable task.

He stops midways of the room, contemplating.

He is torn between duty, love, fear and hatred.

Saying good-bye to his father means so much to him, yet one corner of his mind wants to run away.

It is nearly unbearable for him to see his father in this state, telling nonsense incoherently and arising memories of his mother with which he also upsets him. For Arthur will never have the opportunity to share them completely and for this, he envies his father.

Furthermore, just for once, he wishes for Uther Pendragon coming back to his senses.

He just wishes to share the burden of the crown, just for once.

One single tear finds its way down his cheek, as he wipes it away hastily.

Then his steps resolutely and proudly aim for the door to his father's room.

**XXX**

So Merlin stands with Sir Leon, Sir Ellyan and Sir Lancelot at the stairs beneath the solar clock, waiting for king Arthur to finish his farewells to Gwen.

Arthur and Gwen kiss long longingly and lovely. While Sir Leon starts discussing matters of ways how to face the menace at the border with Gwaine.

Lancelot nudges Merlin with his elbow and gestures him to step aside.

Then Lancelot bows his black curled head slightly to whisper into Merlin's ear: "Never do that mind-calling thing again, if you don't really have to or I can't promise to restrain myself!"

"Was it that bad?" Merlin whispers curiously.

"It was creepy. Mind my words!"

With this just said, he looks up and smiles just to see Gwen and Arthur finally separate from kissing, but still not dare to let go of the other one's hand. They can see Arthur's lips moving as he whispers to Gwen. She smiles at him, although the smile does not reach her worried eyes.

Suddenly the pair let go off the other and in an abrupt turn, Arthur approaches Gaius: "Do you have the preparations I asked for?" He wants to know, composed and matter-of-factly again.

"It's alright, Sire. Merlin already carries himself all I could give him to your aid, preventing you as much as I can from harm or peril. The rest lies in your hands alone!" Gaius answers to Arthur. Looking at Arthur and Merlin alternately, Gaius speaks: "Take care, Merlin. Watch out, Arthur. Will you? Please keep an eye on each other."

"You, too, Gaius." Merlin replies being touched.

Arthur steps close to Gaius ear and murmurs: "I leave my heart in your hands, Gaius. See that Gwen will not be harmed. Promise me!"

"I'll promise with all my heart", Gaius confirms.

Arthur nods.

"Off with you, GO!" Gaius shouts at them, hurrying them off suddenly.

**XXX**

They ride along Camelot's trading route in moderate pace for all the people and carts going in and out of the city.

Merlin rides aside a thoughtful Arthur. "I just wonder if in the way you said farewells to Gwen, you might even think about changing some laws soon after we'll return?"

"What for?" Arthur looks his manservant into the eyes.

"For the sake of marrying Gwen, for example. Nobles are not allowed to ally in life bonds with commoners, so you might want to change that."

"Why should I, I am the king. I can marry whoever I want and choose."

"Shouldn't it be the same for your people?"

"Why do you say that?" Arthur looks to the horizon.

Merlin sighs. "I remember you saying you believed in the equality of all people." He quotes dryly.

"That's where the Round Table is concerned."

"Yes, indeed. In that case, I am still your manservant and Gwen's still a lady's maid and servant. " Merlin concludes and looks to the horizon as well.

"On the one hand", Merlin thinks, "I seek my secret to be revealed, to be freed of the burden of hiding and lying. Arthur wants an honestly ruled kingdom, which is not to be stable on a basement of lies, as it is now. Concerning Kilgharrah's words and the country's peril, Arthur is in dire need of acting. But the more I do, I've been feeling like loosing the reins of controlling things furthermore.

I admit to fear Arthur's reaction if he knows, after all he experienced with Morgana. I fear not for myself, but for the likes of me I hold dear." Pictures of Gaius, Gillian and even Kilgharrah pass his mind, followed by pictures of ones he had seen being sentenced to death headed by Gwen's father, the exiled fate of his own father and his grieved mother and all who are bound to stay hidden to keep being alive. At last, an image of Freya aches his heart.

"But conclusively, I fear to loose Arthur and the relationship we have gained so hardly earned."

He bits his lip. It is the same merry-go-around of thoughts over and over again. No escape, no solution at hand except hoping to take a chance.

"I long for it. I fear it. Yet to be, however, and yet been decided, too."

**XXX**

As they shortly rest at night and it is Sir Gwaine's turn to participate in the watch, Arthur dreams about kissing Gwen farewell over and over again.

His words whispered into her fine ears are repeated in his mind. "I love you and I always will, my future bride and queen." A mocking, terrifying laughter follows afterward. He does not awake, but tosses and turns wildly in his sleep. He tries to flee from this mocking laughter unsuccessfully.

The horrified face of his father hunts him in his dream. "Magic's powerful. Beware of it!"

"Father!" he cries out in his mind. "You've sentenced so many people with the magical gift. How did you fight them, how did you catch and arrest them?"

His father doesn't answer. Only he hears the mockingly laughter instead.

He awakes in the middle of the night. Holding one hand to his aching head, he feels dizzy.

"Arthur, are you alright?" A concerned Merlin asks.

Remembering thoughts of dream and of reality swirl in Arthur's mind like a whirling wind before a storm.

"Let me be and get some sleep." Arthur growls back. He turns over, so he does not have to face Merlin's deep inquiring look anymore.

Merlin bits his lip and curls in his blanket again.

**Disclaimer:**

The **Lady of Shallot** and her magical web belong to the poem of Lord Alfred Tennyson. I just twisted a bit its content.

I found the name **"Móir****í****n"** on www. behindthename. com. Well, if you like, find out for yourself what the meaning is.

All characters in the story belong to the creators of **"Merlin" by BBC One** and their affiliates except for the ones which will be mentioned here which are for in this content "Arthur's choice " in order of appearance up to Chapter 2 included: Julia, Lord Ambrosius of Rosedale, Móirín (in this connection), The Host of The Old Ways (in connection with BBC's "Old Ways" of the past referred to in Merlin), Camelot's Seneschal Lord Angus of Dorn and the wording for the magical intonation, which I have made up on my own.


	4. Chapter 3: The Lady of Shalott

Disclaimer: at the end of the chapter!

**CHAPTER 3: "The Lady of Shalott": **

Gaius chose the mundane way and first asked the next city guard station near the market, if the Lord had announced the theft. This wasn't the case. Afterward, he inquired for Lord Ambrosius of Rosedale at his city residence and at his trade. On both latter locations, they had seen him this morning but not yet since his usual turn to tasks on the market. So this was the next place Gaius went to. Upon inquiring there, he was told a lot of versions of this morning's theft. Where Lord Ambrosius had gone afterward, nobody could say.

As Gaius returns unsuccessfully and disappointingly, he meets Gwen in the hallway who just closes the door of Uther's room.

"How is he, Gwen?"

"He has eaten a bit and is sleeping now. But even your remedy doesn't stop his babbling."

Gaius nods thoughtfully. Then he looks at Gwen, eyes brighten with a sudden idea. "Gwen, where do you go if you want to buy good fabric and cloth for sewing?"

"That depends", she answers, "for myself I would go to the market's merchants and view their expenditures. As a lady's maid", Gwen pauses and deliberately tries to avoid mentioning Morgana's name, "I used to consult the king's personal tailor. I know that the latter has his own sources, of which I only know a few."

"Could you name them?" Gaius asks politely.

"Uh. Some I heard of, I've been working around those people. Elmer, the trade merchant, or Logan, the wool and fabric manufacturer. As well as Lord Ambrosius of Rosedale sometimes, although it is not his only trade ware. Some of the noble Ladies swear on the quality of his fabric. Oddly, SHE always refused those, I don't know why."

"Mh." Gaius needn't any explanations who "she" is meant with. "Could I show you anything?", he whispers and clears his throat. "Not here actually, it's in my chamber."

"Gaius!" She answers indignantly, but winks.

"Gwen, I am too old for such a person as you are. I've promised Arthur to keep an eye on you, remember?" He winks back.

Gwen laughs and links arms with the physician.

Gaius offers Gwen to sit on his only armchair by the fire. The king's physician rumors in his chest and administers Gwen the roll of cloth, still covered, which has been tried to steal on the market.

"As my guest", he says in a low voice, "I must ask you to speak about it to no one until I will permit it." He looks deeply into her eyes.

"Honestly promised. Gaius, you've got me. What is it?"

"Take it and have a look."

Gwen does so and opens the cover to look a bit surprised at the fine intricately and smoothly woven linen cloth. She fondles it with her hand.

"Nicely done, but it could need some dying to enhance it."

Gaius shortly stares at her open mouthed. "What do you say?"

"I'm trying to say that every skilled weaver on the market could produce such item as this. It is of high quality, yes, but nothing out of extraordinary. There is even no special weaving pattern in it. Just the fabricated, fine spindled wool and its even weaving make it outstanding."

"Gwen, listen." Gaius steps close to her and he can feel her breath on his face as he bends down to her. "This cloth has a hidden and strong magic integrated. You hold in hand the item which was stolen from Lord Ambrosius of Rosedale on the market this morning."

"Oh! Does it affect me?" She shies away with her hand.

"Not now, as far as I can tell. Otherwise, I wouldn't dare to endanger you!"

First Gwen doesn't know what to say. Then she takes a little while to think. "Once I heard some Ladies rumor while dressing up for a feast. They were too engaged and nervous to remember my presence being significant. I just had to fetch something", she paused, "for her."

She swallows.

"Those Ladies echoed voices who claimed that Lord Ambrosius' of Rosedale used his trade to keep engaging with his early love. Reputedly, she crafted unique pieces for him, they said, but they also believed they kept their affair up this way. But I am sorry, Gaius, for I don't happen to know the name of that Lady, for they didn't tell."

Gaius takes in a deep breath. "Be at ease, Gwen, I do. Some time ago I just wondered what became of her for it went quite to learn about her. As it goes though, we just should try to start at her home."

"We, Gaius?" Gwen looks surprised.

"I wouldn't mind a young, fair woman and future queen to accompany me to a Lady." He smiles at her.

Gwen smiles back. "Don't. You know what I mean. Concerning what you've asked, alright. So where do we head to go?"

"To the isle of Shalott, down the river. It is not so far away.", he concludes. "I will tell Sir Leon that we are going to leave for the isle tomorrow. We should be back in the early afternoon. Even if groups of refugees will arrive here in this time, we are only a few hours away and there are the barbers in town for the small diseases as well. It's important that we'll get to know what's going on."

**XXX**

A tall woman with a fine profile sits on a loom by the window. Sunlight shines through the window and is reflecting onto the loom, the strawberry blond-haired woman, the floor and the mirror, which hangs before the woman and the loom on the wall.

"At least, you have found me on my isle", the Lady starts to speak. Without hesitation or stopping her weaving, she suddenly asks: "So what is your opinion about magic, after all? Tell me." Gently smiling, she turns to look into their faces.

Gwen holds her breath and lets it out slowly. Unsure what to do, she meets with Gaius' eyes, begging him wordlessly to help out.

"I guess the question should be, what do we think about those who wield it, for magic is not to exist without a performer, shouldn't it? Gaius replies.

"Well countered. Although slightly impolite to respond a Lady's question with the rhetorical instrument of a counter question, don't you think?" she says mockingly. Her brightening smile and eyes only assure her visitors that she doesn't mean it in an offending way.

Gwen moistens her lips. "My father had been arrested innocently for using magic by the king. He died by the sword of a palace guard as he tried to flee", she finally admits sadly.

"That must have been hard for you, especially for you have continued to work and live in the king's nearest presence. How can you forgive and care for Uther having this in mind?"

Gwen hesitates and ponders, fighting her conflicting feelings.

"Tell me. If you condemned me for what I had been, you would not have set your feet onto this isle. So be eased that I will listen and understand."

"Arthur loves his father", she replies, "even though he often doesn't agree with him. I love Arthur, so for all of my pain and sorrow, I can't see Arthur's pain and relieve in every thankful look he grants me for my caring of Uther." She pauses before continuing: "When I think of it, Uther became to hate magic because he lost his beloved wife due to it. I can understand that, although I do not tolerate nor support that in any way."

"Truly and heartily spoken", The Lady speaks weavingly. "What about you, Gaius, king's medicus?"

Gaius chooses his words carefully. "Magic itself is not good nor is it evil. Those who wield it decide for its purpose in my opinion."

"So please comfort yourself and listen", she gestured to two chairs and a small, round table beside a tidy made bed.

While they sat down, the Lady of Shalott starts to explain in a low and melodic voice and she weaves on:

"A witch cursed me to stay in this very room together with the mirror and the loom. As soon as daylight comes up and touches the mirror, it begins to sing its urging, infiltrating magical song to me and I can't but sit here and weave on steadily until dusk. Maids do bring me food and water for in between. I can stand up to fetch something but never I dare to look out of the window or leave this room. I only see images of life passing by within the mirror's reflections. Therefore I know what is going on outside this very room although I will never be able to participate. That is why Lord Ambrosius couldn't marry me as his true love in his youth, for I would have moved to his family's castle if we had married. That's why Ambrosius, poor one my heart still aches for, started a secret entrepreneurship to find magical items and devices in the hope to find one which would be able to free me from my curse. It has been providing me with an income, for he sold my unique webs as well. A young maid is our messenger and serves as a courier."

She takes in a deep breath before she continues: "I don't know what kind of magic the curse leaves in the web. Until it tells me when I'm finished through a whisper. None is the same. That's why Lord Ambrosius of Rosedale had been so eager to possess this specific cloth from my maid. I couldn't interfere that he tricked her." She pauses for a moment. "I am bound to stay here", she adds sadly. "He thought, he could protect me and himself with it, watching out who is watching us and the curse. But I thought it could do more harm than good. I guess, unfortunately, that my thought is the truth", she finishes aggrieved.

"If you promise me to save my beloved with all your might to be death-sentenced, I will give this to you." She reaches into a shelf beside the window, containing various of multiple and unique colored cloths and rolls of cloth. One small one, just naturally gray-white and extremely woven loosely, she administers to Gaius.

"Use magic and order it to grow and grasp, and it will capture your enemies in a gluey cobweb. But of more, I don't know. I can't tell if it is to harm them in any way afterward or not."

She returns to the shelf and opens a willow box, fetching a light blue ribbon with yellow flower art in it. The Lady of Shalott curtseys to Gwen. Gwen smiles embarrassed, as the Lady of Shalott pleads her: "Mylady, please grant me the honor of presenting you this gift. As our future queen, I solicit to wear this on your wedding." She slightly nods to Gwen.

Gwen holds her breath and lets it out slowly. "I've heard these words before. How are you able to know?" The Lady of Shalott still meets her eyes but refuses to answer.

Gwen follows her eyes to the mirror and her skin has goose pimples on it.

Hastily Gwen takes it out of the Lady's hands and also responds with a nod to the Lady. "What is its magic about?", she asks shyly.

"It will reveal itself when the time is near. It is for your own good."

A shiver goes down Gwen's spine and she finds it hard to keep the gift holding. Hastily, she fastens it onto her belt.

"Thank you", she says reluctantly.

"Be careful", the Lady of Shalott says, including Gaius in her look again, "I have to warn you. There has been stolen another work of mine, a silken cloak of invisibility!"

Gwen starts to shaken from head to toe.

"Gwen!" Gaius cries.

"Gaius, please tell me, what's this all about you a ..." The last words refuse to pass her lips as she faints.

Quite agile for his age, Gaius steps in. He catches her, but due to the weight falls down to the floor with her, being a soft, absorbing ground.

He hears his bone break and the world darkened around him, too.

Lord Ambrosius steps in from behind. He closes a hollow onyx cap upon a silver ring and looks into the eyes of his beloved.

"Oh my dear, what have you done?", she argues shocked.

**XXX**

When Arthur awakes in the morning, he finds most of the knights already awaken and busy.

Still disarranged from arising from sleep, he stops the first one in his way to ask, who happens to be Gwaine.

"Why didn't anybody wake me up?" he bellows furiously at him.

"'Cos Merlin told us you've been up most of the night, so we decided to grant you the nap."

"Merlin! Where is he?" He looks around for him moving his head from left to right but can't find him immediately.

"Up there." Gwaine answers and points up a hillock with some trees.

Arthur examines the hillock carefully and realizes that wads of smoke escape irregularly like fog from under the tree's leaves.

As Arthur scales it, the odor becomes obnoxiously and he covers his mouth with his tunic's sleeve.

He hurries to change his path out of the direction of the wind.

Then he arrives at a small clearing, seeing Merlin standing over a small cauldron upon a little fire.

"What are you doing up here? Besides, who are you to decide for my morning routine!" Arthurs face goes red with anger.

"Cooking poison." Merlin stats calmly. He even doesn't bother to look up, for he concentrates on stirring the mixture with a twig.

"Try not to breathe in the smoke."

"Pardon?", Arthur exclaims inapprehensively and shakes his head.

"As for not waking you up, I prefer a well-rested fighter with a coherently thinking mind to a tired, unconcentrated one. There were no reasons to not letting you sleep for a bit longer as long as we haven't been ready to decamp." He suddenly looks Arthur in the eyes and stops stirring.

"Is that what Gaius taught you to fight against magic!"

"It is in any way a chance, Arthur." He takes a pot cloth of felt and removes the cauldron from the tiny iron frame over the fire onto a stone at the fireside.

"That's not fighting, that's a treason of the knight's honesty!" Arthur outbursts.

"Just for saving your life, wouldn't you stab an overpowered opponent into the back, would you?"

"Merlin!"

It is only know that Arthur realizes a bundle at the other side of Merlin.

Merlin uncovers it and crossbow bolts, the ones his knights and soldiers use, are to be seen.

"Think about it." Merlin turns to the bolts, takes one, dips it briefly into the mixture and lets it dry on air for a few moments before laying onto the other side of the bundle's cloth.

"There must be other ways." Arthur insists.

"What do you have in mind?" Merlin wants to know and continues his work.

"Diversion and dividing. Ambushes and traps, for example."

"Against a superior number of magical foes. It may buy you some time, not more."

"Are there other things which I should know of before", Arthur emphasizes the last word, "we encounter a fight?"

Merlin takes his time to decide what to answer him "Gaius bags also include some more alchemical stuff to hold off foes as Gaius had done during the time fighting peril at the side of your father. But I am not the only one here to hold surprises." He looks at him a bit defiantly.

"Who else and what is it?"

"I am not one to squeal on people." Merlin defends himself.

"Tell me, that's an order from your king!"

Merlin grimaces. "I know Gwaine, for an example, carries caltrops with him." He finally admits.

Arthur's face hardens. "We'll see. Finish with it soon and hand those bolts out. But I will give orders to only use them if I command it as our last resort!"

Merlin gives him an answering nod and continues his dangerous work.

**Disclaimer:**

The **Lady of Shallot** and her magical web belong to the correspondent poem by Lord Alfred Tennyson. I just twisted a bit its content.

I found the name **"Móir****í****n"** on www. behindthename .com. Well, if you like, find out for yourself what the meaning is.

All characters in the story belong to the creators of **"Merlin" by BBC One** and their affiliates except for the ones which will be mentioned here which are for in this content "Arthur's choice " in order of appearance: Julia, Lord Ambrosius of Rosedale, Móirín (in this connection), The Host of The Old Ways (in connection with BBC's "Old Ways" of the past referred to in Merlin), Camelot's Seneschal Lord Angus of Dorn and the wording for the magical intonation, which I have made up on my own.


	5. Chapter 4: Magic strikes back

WARNING: Parental guidance may be recommended for the 2nd part of the chapter!

Disclaimer: at the end of the chapter.

CHAPTER 4: "Magic strikes back": 

Part 1 :

Lord Ambrosius of Rosedale tends to Gaius' wounded leg immediately. The cracked bone broke through the flesh and blood rhythmically pulses out of it according to his heartbeat.

With a sudden tug, Lord Ambrosius tears off a strap from Gaius' rope and wraps it to Gaius tight with a firm knot where his artery flows.

"Remind me that I will never allow you to hide behind my folding screen again", the Lady of Shalott expresses. She had risen to stay and hold Gwen.

"No time for regrets. We've got to save his life or he will die because of the blood loss."

The Lord's hand only stays as less as a paper's thickness away from Gaius' wound.

"Aruanem dars ragen, marn nash dop!" He speaks clearly as his eyes flash. Slowly the bone bends toward Gaius' shank again. Flesh gives away as it is touched by the bone. Even in his unconsciousness, Gaius starts to scream.

Gwen starts to shake and the Lady of Shalott tries to pull her a bit away from the physician. She bends, but doesn't awake for the Lady's visible relief.

With an abrading sound, the bone sets aright again, while blood spills the floor again.

"I'll go and fetch some water, cloths and a stake to fix his leg. Then we can lay him onto your bed.

We should think hard and come to a solution soon of what to do with them, for it will not take long for Gwenevere to awake."

The Lady of Shalott nods, her face has gone pale. Obviously reluctantly, she returns to weave on the loom again. Her hands occupied with the work, but for her eyes never to leave those two stretched out onto her floor until her beloved enters the room again.

**XXX**

There the fisherman sat waiting in his boat and froze despite that he huddled in his cloak against the cold fall wind coming in from the riverside. Suddenly he was disturbed from his muttering and drifting off thoughts by a mid-aged, noble dressed man approaching him with determined steps.

"Good afternoon. Oh I'm so sorry. Please accept my apologies for not remembering you are waiting dutifully here for our visitors to return. In all our happiness to see them again, we have forgotten to tell you they will stay for a few days. Please, accept this as a recompense for your discomfort in this time of year!"

Lord Ambrosius of Rosedale loosened a small pouch of coins from his belt and offers it to the man.

The man stood up slowly and the boat rocked with the movement. A shaken and weathered hand came out of the cloak to grasp the pouch eagerly out of the Lord's hands. Shaking it, the sound confirmed to the fisherman its well-filled content. He grinned at the noble man.

"Pleasure to be at your service."

"You should hurry to return soon before the night falls."

"Yeah, indeed I should." With a thankful nod, the man sat into his boat again and began pulling the oars. Looking back for a moment, the fisherman was surprised that the noble hadn't turned yet.

From his lower position, he saw some dark brown and soaked spots on the noble man's shoes. For the blink of a thought, he wondered how this accurate man could overindulge such a lack of properness.

Lord Ambrosius kept staying on the small quay until the boat and its man became not more than the size of his fist in his view. He seized into his belt pouch and produced a single white downy feather, which he held in his closed palm. For a second, he closed eyes, too.

Upon opening them, he also opens his hand. At the moment, eyes flashed and "Hurgieth tareh'tha!" was spoken. With the out-breathing of "Tha", the feather flew from his hand, danced upon the river and was taken by a gust, which appeared suddenly and strongly into the direction of the fisher boat.

Small waves curled up, accumulated and rose in speed. When the waves reached the small boat, it teetered and doubled its speed.

There the oarsman would be a hint back in Camelot.

The Lord turned with a slight grin on his face. "Shall they came", he thought, "I will await them."

**XXX**

"Gaius?", whispers Gwen, still having her eyes half closed. "What … what happened?"

She rolls over in the soft bed to open her eyes fully, looking at a pale Gaius laying next to her and suddenly she is awake.

"Gaius!"

"Be at ease, please. His leg will heal and he will be alright soon."

Gwen looks up, irritated to see a woman sitting on a loom by a window. Then Gwen remembers clearly and completely

"You... you", she addresses the woman. Gwen shakes her head, looking at Gaius again. "He never told anyone, of course, he didn't." She pauses. "Tell me, please, what has happened?"

The Lady of Shalott lay aside her shuttle, comes over and sits next to Gaius on her own bed. She takes his crinkly hand.

"Well, I have seen a lot through the mirror and I guess it is enough to get you involved for some things you may have even suspected. I will tell you all and things will get clearer, for there is much of me telling you about a person you used to know."

As they lock looks, Gwen's intuition gives way. "Morgana", she aspirates.

The Lady of Shalott nods and returns to her loom.

"As well as about a woman named Móirín and a boy you've met, too. Mordred."

The Lady weaves on and begins to tell her story.

Gwen listens carefully.

A cautious knock on the door disturbs their conversation. Silently Lord Ambrosius walks in with an excusing smile on his face. He tends to check on Gaius' condition and without hesitation, the Lady of Shalott resumes her line of telling past events.

Lord Ambrosius seems not at all to be surprised.

Before the last rays of sunlight leave the reflection of the mirror, a maid comes in to bring them food. She also fans the dying embers of the fire in the chimney, lightens up the candles of the chandelier and two lanterns by the closed window.

The maid leaves the room and the night encloses the world outside. Lord Ambrosius takes the Lady's hand to help her standing up, then he carries her stool to the small table. So the three of them are able to sit down for supper.

They are eating and talking late into the night, only being accompanied by Gaius' snores.

CHAPTER 4: "Magic strikes back":

Part 2:

They have just turned around a hill and suddenly they look at a world which seems to be out of hell right in front of them. As they mechanically halted all in shock to absorb the burnt and ruined landscape, Merlin abruptly points into the sky: "Look there! What's coming up?"

First Lancelot catches the spot, too. "The dragon again." he says firmly.

"No, it's smaller, but I guess it's not any good, either!" Merlin answers, while the spot grows rapidly bigger. In a sudden realization of black wings and little fire flames, he shouts: "RIDE ON! RIDE for COVER!" Merlin presses his heels into the flanks of his horse. "HIDE!"

The hooves of their horses echo in staccato in galloping further down the road. Although this flight seems useless, for nothing could be seen except burnt land, black tree trunks and ruins in ashes with no shelter left to see and use.

A black beast with red eyes lands before them with a gust of wind and their horses whinny and rear in panic. They have problems in controlling them by reins and heels. Merlin, who has never been quite an experienced rider, nearly fell off.

The beast's inflamed hooves kindles the ashes to embers. The folding of huge black wings produced a gust of wind, which expires most of the embers immediately, but also nearly knocks them out off their saddle while still the horses trip uneasily. It also sends clouds of ashes up in the air, which left them distracted with burning eyes and coughing.

"A Black Pegasus", Gwaine shouts hoarsely.

The beast before them is more than double the size of a normal horse. They have no time for thinking. The beast stretches its neck and starts stamping towards them. The flames produce a hissing sound in the process.

They needn't tell the horses what to do. Their animals panic and circulate away from the beast, but it is for Arthur who just happens to be in the beast's straight way. One of the knights shoots a crossbow bolt into the beast's dark leg. It stops angered and its nostrils breath out hot steam.

"NOOOO!" screams Lancelot.

Merlin has never felt so helpless in his entire life. No second left, any action comes too late.

It is for Arthur's rising horse which saves his life. Arthur's screams are silenced with his backward fall ending up with his hard landing on the ground which is covered in ashes.

His knights and soldiers try to build a semi-circle before him. The attempt largely fails for their effort to control the struggling horses.

After a moment of sheer shock, Arthur realizes two things; first his whole right body side aches and secondly the air reeks of burnt hair and flesh. Then he feels the heat. Arthur hastily pulls off his gloves, revealing red burnt hands with white blisters on them. Gasping for air, he pulls off his helmet, too. His senses being freed from the restriction, he directly smells the scalded and dehisced abdomen with its oozed out entrails of his poor loyal horse under his nose. He bends over and vomits next to one of its legs.

Still unsteadily on horseback, Merlin tries to regain his wits instead of giving in to his panic. "Think! Quickly! No option to use anything from Gaius' bags in this riot. Nor magic with so many people around. Think! This is a creature of magic. So am I, so is Kilgarrah. Kilgarrah! That's … it may work ..."

Being distracted, Merlin's reaction also comes to slow to regain what control could be left to his horse. He plumps into another soldier's horse and looses his balance. Luckily, he glides from the saddle fast and rolls into the ashes.

Ignoring his aching back, Merlin swiftly stands up, afraid of being hit by another hoof. Merlin analyzes the chaos around him with a quick glance.

Arthur moves clumsily to stand up again while the disordered semi-circle of soldiers and knights stand before him, leaded by Sir Parsifal. Sir Elyan gestures to his man to attack the beast at its flanks.

Although some of the soldiers have to dismount and let their horse run freely, they obey the command on feet. But at least fifteen men lay on the ground. Some of them screaming, some buried under their horses. Some not moving at all.

Marked and non-marked crossbow bolts shoot the Black Pegasus like needles, obviously with no effect.

In sudden realization, they stand paralyzed, then the knights and soldiers unit in formation and draw their swords all together in a silent understanding. Less than a handful could obtain their small shield from the saddle before. Arthur is still focusing on finding his balance and finding out what happens.

All the while being watched by red eyes intensively.

Merlin's mind starts to think fast. "We are seventy-eight trained ones against one beast. Sounds strange to call it unfair."

Though Merlin hates to admit to himself that he foresees their doom at that precise moment. He HAS to do something and HAS to give his weird thought a try.

The beast withdraws with inflamed hooves prancing nervously, as if to charge on them.

"NOOOOO!" Now Merlin screams at the top of his lungs. He looks the Black Pegasus straight into its red eyes.

"Regonan don!", he commands in thought, using the Draconian language. After all, this beast was no dragon, but he hopes for the magical beast to understand the ranking opposed. "Rigmeth'děn!"

It steps backwards only a few steps. To be stopped by a mischievous laughter from behind.

A woman out of nowhere, so it seems, walks proudly a fore from her hiding behind the beast.

"That's she", Merlin thinks, "The woman besides Morgana in the reflection of the web!"

Casually she stands there, dressed in dark leather armor and her brunette curled hair dances in the arising wind.

The soldiers and knights try their luck to move a footstep forward in unison.

The Black Pegasus whinnies, but the sound is a piercing ringing in their ears to unvoluntarily letting fall everything in hand and cup the ears with the hands. To make things worse, the wind increases, of within itself or because of the Black Pegasus begins to flap, one cannot tell. They are shrouded by a wind rose of black ashes and flattened by the blast of its ascending.

Blinded and exposed, Merlin only has one thought. "Nooo, nooot! I will dooo it! I can't watch their helplessness. If need be, I will do it, whatever it costs!"

"Branth dor thuas sirm", Merlin mutters, lost in the shrieking and his head down. Half-closed eyes flash in amber light. Only he senses the translucent canopy of magic enclosing the ones who he holds dear.

Nothing happened.

The Black Pegasus and approximately the woman for its rider disappear into the air.

Black air, that is.

They have their own travails in gasping for it.

Merlin only hopes that nobody suspects for the sudden decrease in the force of the wind.

**XXX**

Too much time is wasted by retrieving, catching, and calming the horses again.

Being rejected by Arthur before to tend to the more injured ones, Merlin had to discover that at least half of the content of Gaius' small bag he carries had been broken.

He had already discovered that for seven men any help came too late.

Three more men are of urgent need for stronger healing potions to curtail their bullous burns, especially for they aren't able to open their swollen eyelids. All he could do was to arrange for cooling them. Which had been no easy task, to find a clean cloth in all the ash-covered things and with the big healing bag still on his saddle.

It is Lancelot, who returns to Merlin, dragging behind him Merlin's horse.

"Thank you", Merlin shortly turns to Lancelot, directly reaching for his saddle bag to check for the big one including the healing equipment. Fortunately, most of it seems to be unbroken at first glance. Merlin pulls it off and puts it around his neck to handle out healing potions to the three blinded ones immediately. They aren't strong enough to cure them in an instance, to be on the save side, but sure enough to save them from permanent harm. For the effects are slow moving, as far as Merlin knows.

"Arthur!"

Merlin hears Lancelot scream in shock.

"Don't bother me!" Arthur answers sternly.

"Merlin, come over here!"

"I know, Lancelot, he won't let me!" he calls in a reply, arising from his latest patient.

"Have you seen your face?", Lancelot exclaims against Arthur.

"Of course, not!" With an aching grunt, Arthur bends down to retrieve his helmet again but misses it at length.

"Can you even see clearly?", Lancelot argues concerned.

But Arthur falters in the process. Merlin, who has caught up to them now, helps him to sit down again. Lancelot stands next to Merlin, still holding Merlin's horse. Merlin fumbles in his packaging to produce his eating bowl, then he opens the waterskin from the saddle, pouring the clear liquid into the bowl.

"Drink and take a look!" Merlin offers it to the price, kneeling next to him. So near at sight, Arthur takes the bowl firmly.

Arthur just does it vise versa – and swallows hardly. "That's not me", he whispers scarcely audible.

For a moment he sits there unmoved, then drinks out the bowl in one draft and throws it away. Rattling on the ash-covered cobblestones of the road follows the silence.

It is Merlin who speaks up first: "Arthur, you've got to go back with the others to be tended to your wounds."

"For the sake of our kingdom, I won't. No protest!" Arthur answers stubbornly. "Give me anything from your bags, but I will stay!" He tries to stand up again but sways.

"It's for the shock which makes you stronger and immune to the pain", Merlin replies.

"Don't you think you overreact, Merlin?", Arthur asks snappishly.

"Me? Never!" At this moment Merlin knows that he has lost this battle.

"How could I ever hope to break away this stubborn courage?", Merlin thinks.

"Lancelot, take a lance of men, mostly the not badly injured ones, and carry our wounded back to Camelot. The rest will come along with me."

"Then please, take this young one with you, too!", a hoarse male voice shouts, appearing as a gray silhouette in the still ash-filled air, carrying someone small on his arms.

They all watch expectantly. In coming nearer, they are all able to distinguish the carried one as a young girl, her braids dangling by the effort of every step the man takes.

Exhausted, the young men goes down to his knees and lays the girl onto the ground, not far away from Arthur.

"Please, save her life" he looks at Arthur, "and there may be a chance that a handful of other people could have fled or survived, too. Please." He gaspes for breath.

Even with all those black and red streams in his face and body and with all the black and white flakes in his hair, Merlin recognizes the young man.

**XXX**

At the next morning, Sir Leon knocks at the door and directly opens it. Geoffrey of Monmouth hasn't finished saying "Come in, please", yet, as the door slums into its ankles again.

"I apologize for this unpleasant interruption and lack of manners, but I need to see the records of The Great Purge immediately. It's an emergency!"

The librarian's face goes pale and he hopes Sir Leon doesn't recognize it, for the librarian of Camelot tries to hide it by standing up quickly. Turning his back to the knight, he reaches for a chain-necklace under his robes, where a key is fastened to it. With it, he unlocks a voluminous chest and comes out with three big, seemingly sealed, books.

Fortunately, he had tugged the most suspicious one at the bottom to hide what it could reveal. With great effort, he manages to put them on a free place at the side of his desk.

"Well, do you want to know anything specific? I may be able to help you out of my memories. They have been sealed and the king, I mean, Uther, once ordered ..."

With a gesture of his hand, Sir Leon cuts off Geoffrey's sentence.

"It's urgent, as I have said. I am in command as long as the king will be away. Which one contains what?" Sir Leon wants to know.

"There were three tribunals, one book for each of them", the old man answers.

"I need information about the Lady of Shalott."

Geoffrey of Monmouth isn't able to master his shocked face anymore.

"You know her, don't you?" Sir Leon stats.

"Yes", Lord Geoffrey admits willingly and a bit relieved. "She was a beautiful young woman in her teens at that time."

"So in which one do I find records on her?"

"She has been cursed by a witch."

"Which one, Librarian?" Sir Leon is not one to loose composure easily, yet his face begins to turn red with anger and impatience. He grasps the first book on the staple and holds it up for Geoffrey Monmouth to be seen. Geoffrey half turns his face to the side as he would try not to look at it.

But he has to and shakes his head, while stroking his beard nervously.

"This one?" Sir Leons asks and Geoffrey gives the same reaction.

"This must ...", Sir Leons stops, as the seal ribbon flutters in the air, while the knight holds the enormous record book up for Geoffrey to see.

"What's that?"

The librarian doesn't answer. The old man's body shakes visibly.

"Did you know?"

Geoffrey only nods fearfully, not looking the knight into the eye.

"Why did you ..."

"Not me", the old man interrupts in a whisper.

"By whom?" Now Sir Leon shouts at him.

"Gaius", is the near inaudible answer.

Bang! The book falls onto the others again. Geoffrey of Monmouth catches a red flowing glance of the knight, as the younger one strides hurriedly out of the library.

Before the door is shut, the librarian hears the knight's command to the guards in the hallway:

"Put Geoffrey of Monmouth under house arrest in his private chambers! I will deal with him later on. I'm going to speak to Sir Doran. He is going to be ordered to take a lance of soldiers and to head for the isle of Shalott!"

**XXX**

**Autor's notes:** Thanks for reading. It took me a while to combine the pictures and scenes in my head for the second part – I re-wrote it third times. I hope the length of this chapter and its content will compensate for your waiting!

I've been working on the final chapter already. My problem is to fill in the according plot and chapters to get there. But I hope that the next updating will be sooner. So don't worry, this is to be continued and has a planned line of plot and a planned ending!

Disclaimer:

The **Lady of Shallot** and her magical web belong to the correspondent poem by Lord Alfred Tennyson. I just twisted a bit its content.

I found the name **"Móir****í****n"** on www. behindthename. com. It's Gaelic and it's the diminutive and female form for **"Great"**.

All characters in the story belong to the creators of **"Merlin" by BBC One** and their affiliates except for the ones which will be mentioned here which are for in this content "Arthur's choice " in order of appearance: Julia, Lord Ambrosius of Rosedale, Móirín (in this connection), The Host of The Old Ways (in connection with BBC's "Old Ways" of the past referred to in Merlin), Camelot's Seneschal Lord Angus of Dorn, Sir Doran and the wording for the magical intonations, which I have made up on my own.


	6. Chapter 5: Móirín, Mordred and Morgana

Author's note: 

_I am sorry for causing alerts of this chapter again for some language corrections. Please don't loose your patience in me, it will take me some time to update due to some major changes in my life. I hope you'll understand and thanks to all who have followed the story so far, it means a lot to me!_

WARNING: Maybe parental guidance may be recommended for this chapter! In addition, some slight explicit language is contained.

Disclaimer and sources of quotations: at the end of the chapter.

CHAPTER 5: "Móirín, Mordred and Morgana":

Part 1: Remembering the past ...

Then the thoughts of Móirín, the troop-leader of the Host of the Old Ways, go astray backward in time …

… about nine years before …

… she lived in a hut in the woods, mentored by the old, wise woman. They were eating their lunch, as a boy from the village came running towards them, pushed open strongly the door and interrupted them: "They're coming." He took in deep breaths, exhausted. "Flee!"

In leaving the door still open, he was away again like the imagination of a ghost.

A very real ghost. Both women stood up, letting fall their eating bowls and followed the boy on his heels without questioning.

As they did, they were seen by a scouting king's soldier who sounded alarm. The two women split and ran for their lives.

Screams and fighting sounds behind her indicated no good. Móirín risked a glance backward.

A handful of soldiers surrounded her mentor, two of them lay on the ground of fir needles.

"Run, child", she heard the shouted thought in her mind.

Móirín bit her lips for she knew what the old woman was up to.

She couldn't do nothing to prevent it, so she ran, for it was all she could do to thank her.

For that moment that was, she thought.

She followed their tracks as soon as she dared to. Living of and in the wood was something she was used to. Unsurprisingly, the soldiers headed for Camelot.

They were on horseback, she was on foot. She had the night on her side to keep on going as far as the moon let her … or exhaustion. For she awoke as the sunbeams touched glaringly her eyes.

She rose in panic and ran again, all the while cursing herself and the king of Camelot in her mind.

Her worst fears became reality. While she headed for Camelot, they sat in judgment on her mentor.

Móirín arrived the next the day, as the gathered crowd watched her mentor being led to the stake.

The old woman died in silence, no audible scream escaped her lips.

Nobody cared for a young woman, almost still a girl, huddled between barrels who cupped her ears. She couldn't bare to watch anymore and shut her eyes.

But nothing could stop the crying in her mind except the end.

CHAPTER 5: "Móirín, Mordred and Morgana":

Part 2: … effects the present ...

"Gillian!" Merlin shouts and runs towards the two.

Gillian nearly collapses. "Save … her, not … me! I'm … exhausted." he barely exclaims.

Carefully Merlin also kneels down and takes away one braid from the young girl's face.

Arthur steps towards them. "I know you."

Gillian faces his glare. "Yes, indeed." The young boy hesitates. "My king", he finishes at last looking at his deformed face, "the … tournament." Gillian pauses. "Pegasi. There are .. at least two … or three", he gasps.

Meanwhile Merlin rummages in his bag to carefully search for another healing potion for the girl out of his bag. He takes one, unseals it and instills its liquid into the girl's mouth. Then he changes the vacant one against a full one in his hand quickly.

"And now they know exactly where we are", Arthur states calmly, then shouts: "Back to the woods, hurry up! Get out of these open lands!" Turning to Gillian, he says: "We will see to your people when this fight will be over – hopefully!"

Merlin follows Arthur and stops him in mid-running. "Drink it, Arthur, now!" and holds the phial right under the king's nose. Arthur unplugs the wax-sealed cork and and drinks the phial in one gulp without questioning or grimacing. The young king continues to shout orders and encouragements to his men directly afterward and, as a matter of course, mounts Merlin's horse beside him.

Gillian and Merlin have efforts in uplifting the girl's body. Arthur tries to accommodate them to reach from the saddle of the prancing horse and together they make it to throw the girl across in front of the cantle.

They all ride, run, walk or hobble back, as soon as they can, supporting one another if possible and fearfully watching the sky every so often.

They pass the hill again and afterward the vegetation is as green and vivid as they use to know it. A short time later, the riders are already under the cover of the edge of the wood with some men on feet, as they all spotted three black dots in the sky which rapidly come nearer.

"C'mon, hurry up!" Arthur shouts.

Percival, Elyan and Lancelot turn their horses and ride back together with some mounted soldiers.

Merlin stops and hastily searches Gaius' smaller bag, but carefully not to get hurt by the pieces of broken glasses. There! He fumbles for the little wooden box.

They don't make it all in time.

Two of the Black Pegasi just landed in between and cut both parties off, tearing and burning soldiers while doing so. Not a few are overthrown by the gusts of wind they produce.

But there are no riders sitting on them.

Percival, besides one, hacks at its leg with his sword, but has to ride for cover behind the beast itself as it turns to breath hot steam in his direction.

Fortunately, it burns empty space. Huge Percival uses his opportunity to stretch on his horse and to cut off the beast's tail with a part of its back and he retreats quickly. The angered beast seems to bath in flames and steam in its anger and pain, then flaps to rise again.

Elyan rides to face the second beast, stopping his horse with his thighs only and calmly measures his aim with his crossbow.

Merlin has quickly opened the little box and uncovers the protective cloths. He grasps one of the small phials.

"Elyan, return!" Lancelot urges his horse towards the other knight, ceasing to help the fleeing ones in the open into the wood.

Elyan shots. The bolt hits its aim just before the black beast cranes its neck.

Foaming crimson blood crosses from its eye down its mouth, drops to the soil. The steam blow darts into high air and slowly condensate into small drops of water, mingling as fog above them.

Elyan retreats, guiding his horse towards the wood.

Lancelot takes advantage of the blinded side and charges with his sword in hand, ducking in his saddle and riding to the beast's belly from the side, just as its hooves start to upraise from the soil. Holding his sword up like an upright lance, he prods the sword, holding firm to hit and lancing across the belly, causing its entrails to plunge while his horse's speed saves Lancelot to be harmed.

"Percival, retreat!", Merlin shouts. Watching his calling to be responded to, Merlin pitches the first phial at the beast with the bleeding back. It hits and its aim inflames in a pillar of fire.

Clouds of smoke swirl around and the air smells of foul eggs.

Merlin coughs and isn't able to see anything except smoke, flames and shadows.

In a last shriek and only a whiff out of its mouth, the first beast is consumed by flames.

The heat is torridly near. Merlin hears as well feels hooves galloping fast towards him, but he isn't able to adjust his senses from where to elude it, so he rotates around himself defenselessly.

"Merlin, I'll fetch you!", the roaring voice of Percival sounds.

Swiftly Merlin closes the box by sense of touch alone. Holding on to the box, a shadow of a rider appears and comes to a halt abruptly before him. At the same instant, he is helped and lifted up by a strong hand onto the horse behind Percival. Merlin instinctively holds on with his free hand. The knight reverses his uneasy horse for turning back. Yet the horse goes berserk and runs forward blindly.

The smoke parts in a gust of wind. They come to a sudden halt, for the second beast is revealed, laying on the ground in a fight of agony.

Percival's jerk onto the reins comes too late. His horse is hit by an inflamed hove of the beast and looses its balance. Instinctively Merlin's eyes flash to absorb his downfall. Luckily, Merlin falls onto his back and the box, which he holds desperately and firmly on to, falls softly onto his breast.

As they both tumble to the ground, they are half buried by the horse from their thighs down.

**XXX**

Reaching the shelter of the canopy of trees, they watch in horror the fast happenings beyond the wood. As they try to help the arriving ones, they hear the sound of gravely moving air. As soon as they look up, they see two figures gliding down by magical support from the bolt spotted Black Pegasus. The latter dives in a circle above the tree tops and touches them with its flamed hooves before flying on. Luckily, the fall leaves of the canopy are too damp to get ignited.

The woman, who has ridden the Black Pegasus in their former encounter, stands to face Arthur, his knights and soldiers with a challenging grin. Arthur moves to look around hastily, but not letting go of the women from the corner of his eye! There have dismounted two persons from the black beast, he is sure of that!

The king dismounts his horse and hands the reins over to a passing fleeing soldier on feet, the girl still pending in front of the saddle, and draws his sword.

Then Arthur recognizes Gwaine and Gillian to stand at each of his sides, both swords in hand, too.

"That's she, who assaulted the village." Gillian glares at her with concentrated hate.

The woman regards the young boy with an amused snarl, then focuses on Arthur again.

"There is a second one, somewhere", Arthur mumbles in a whisper.

"I know", Gwaine answers.

The woman in front of them just waits. They hear a mocking laughter, yet the person is not to be seen.

Arthur doesn't have to, he recognizes all along to well. "Morgana", he stats in breathing out.

The three of them are shifty eyed. Arthur's jaw stiffens. His only relieve is to see that his men are able to flee.

An eerie shrieking sound fills the air. Before they can give it a thought, Arthur hears a very familiar voice right in front of him.

"Now you do look nice to me, brother!" Morgana laughs mockingly at him, in a reflection of a suddenly blurry hood only her face can be seen right in front of him.

The sword in his arms feels like the weight of the world. By instinct, Arthur tries to keep it between him and his half-sister. From the corner of his eye, he realizes the movements of Gwaine approaching for the other woman.

Morgana screams shrilly at his face, eyes turning into a sulfur yellow flash. The unknown woman behind her doesn't blink, only showing an evil smirk.

Arthur helplessly feels being thrown up all in a sudden.

Still Merlin's words of farewell ring in Gillian's mind: "But you were going to kill the king anyway? There's no honor in that. One day magic will be permitted once again. When the day arrives, you'll no longer have to hide who you are."**(****¹*****)**

Gillian just lets pure instinct flow through the power of his carried ring. His eyes flash.

If this wasn't the time to fight magic with magic even without a permission, he couldn't help destiny.

"Maybe then our paths will cross again.", the words echo.**(****¹*****)**

That has just happened.

Arthur stops in midair with a jolt which feels like he is being pushed against a solid wall and the air is plunged out of his lungs.

The rest of his breath is taken away with his far from soft downfall to earth again.

"An accursed day ...", he thinks, ere the king's vision turns into blackness.

**XXX**

Percival and Merlin try unsuccessfully to free themselves from the weight of their mount. Fortunately, the injured body of the horse serves as a protective barrier against the kicking hooves of the Black Pegasus.

Percival tries anew to boost the twitching horse and this time Merlin averts his eyes to magically support it a bit. Percival succeeds and they hurry to crouch and stand up.

A new blast is blown over them, nearly knocking them off their feet again.

As they look up, they see the spotted Black Pegasus landing not far away from them.

Disbelievingly, they watch. Behind the beast, a rag-tagged host pass it and heads for the wood. Yet Merlin is more than a little surprised to see a grown and long-haired Mordred dismounting the black beast and having a snobbish air around him while approaching them.

In his need to do something, Merlin takes the first thing in his hands and throws the little wooden box towards Mordred. Mordred acts as suspected, his eyes shortly flash and the box stops to fly between them. For the first time Merlin regrets having to leave behind his staff back in its hiding-place in Camelot!

Percival takes the chance even faster. The moment Mordred is distracted with the box, Percival simply steps forward to knock his fist at the temple of his contrary from the other side. Mordred eyes whiten and he sags unconsciously down to earth like a stone, the box descending with him.

Merlin jumps forward, but Percival reaches for the box as well. The latter touches it with his fingertips to push it undeliberately forward. Merlin measures he can't reach to catch it anymore and jumps to kick. His foot hit the box and it hurts on his feet. Merlin screams and lets himself fall down onto the ash-covered ground to watch the box fly. In that moment, the spotted Black Pegasus aims its breath at them, the box still in between in midair.

"Get down!", Merlin manages to shout and turns his head to the ground, arms up overhead. His eyes flash under the cover to turn up an invisible magical shield above them again.

A hissing sound is followed by a popping one. They already feel the heat of the steam followed by the sound of flapping wings. Then an explosion thrills the ground and sparks go down in gushes of ripples. Before they can react and give it a thought …

… another explosion, this one louder and heavier, bangs in their ears and makes them dizzy, half deafening them.

Merlin risks to look up at the orange inferno before them mingling with the black-swirling, caustic smoke which causes him to cough.

Before Merlin or Percival can pick up courage again, Merlin hears a very familiar voice right behind him, but to his affected ears the wording seems to be further away.

"RUN!", he screams at Percival and tries to get up quickly. He can see Mordred, who starts to move on the ground.

Percival is already standing and helps Merlin to get up again. Merlin grimaces and shifts his weight to his good foot.

Percival's look at Merlin is of total incomprehension. The knight shakes his head :"The beast's dead, Merlin.", Merlin can only guess by reading his lips, "The ...", Percival isn't able to finish his sentence.

"Into the wood", Merlin interrupts him and urges, dragging the huge knight at his arm without success.

Only for them to look up and to face the haunting glare of Mordred's eyes, who has gotten upright again.

"Emrys, there will be a time where you can run no further", the boys stats calmly in Melin's mind, during Mordred's face reveals nothing of this at all.

"We will see ...", Merlin answers, although his ears nearly don't catch his words themselves. While he reaches into his small bag again, not noticing that he scrapes his thenar at the broken pieces of glasses. Merlin pitches again, this time at the ground besides Mordred.

Merlin never gets to know why Mordred hasn't hindered him to do that. Only the boy smirks at him mildly.

Then quickly they are surrounded by a stinging and blinding fog. This time Percival concedes in Merlin's urges and they run towards the wood, for Merlin's humbling to be supported by Percival.

In no hurry, Mordred follows them some time after.

**XXX**

Two steps too far. Gwaine has already felt the trap while his instinct still reacted. He just stands between both women. A slight gesture by the woman's hand and a flash of eyes lets him fly hard against a tree trunk. One branch breaks on the impact and pierces his thigh, nailing him and he looses his sword.

"Stay there, will you?" Morgana mocks. The other woman has already turned towards Gillian, blazing bolts of lighting divide the air in between them and choking the young man uncontrollably.

As it stops, Gillian lays utterly helpless on the ground.

Morgana paces to bend over Arthur and reaches for him, revealing one arm and shoulder coming out from the invisible cloak in doing so.

Suddenly, they hear the footsteps and noises of a crowd breaking through the shrubs.

A thrown eating knife swirls to hit her just there at her forearm where her chain mail ended, the surprise of the impetus and the pain knocking her off her feet to lay beside the king. She moans. Then she reaches and comes up with a delicate dagger with her well-sided hand from under the cloak, which seems to be small mound.

She aims the dagger to place at Arthur's throat, though the king moves all of the sudden. Arthur holds her wrist with the dagger with one hand. With the other one, he tries to hold her down at her throat. He succeeds in holding the dagger at bay, but Morgana sneaks out of his other hand's grip every so often.

Due to the fight, the invisible cloak unveiled her fully again.

Móirín approaches the unconscious Gillian and kneels over him, as members of her host appear. With an directive gesture of her chin and head, she orders some of them to follow the fleeing once.

Buzzing sounds follow two dark streaks in the air. Two of the staying men of the host are hit by crossbolts in their breasts, as they step toward their female troop leader.

A further away explosion thrills the ground and titillates their plantars, except for Morgana and Arthur, of course, who are still mingled in their fighting. Before they can react and give the explosion a second thought …

… a third and a fourth bolt follow and find their aim accordingly. The brunette-curled woman turns to face Sir Elyan. Her responding lightning bolt scores to take fire on a trunk of a fir tree, for Sir Elyan just threw his crossbow away to charge with his sword in hands at the woman.

Sir Elyan freezes in mid-running.

Another explosion, this one a lot stronger than the first, shakes the earth beneath them.

Not caring, Sir Lancelot runs towards the mingling king and his half-sister with an arisen handle of his crossbow, hoping for an opportunity to strike deliberately instead of shooting vaguely.

Seeing another opponent coming towards her, Morgana's eyes flash again to freeze Sir Lancelot likewise, while Arthur succeeds in pulling his body weight over Morgana to minimize her moves.

In sort of an instinctive and panicked reaction, Morgana's knee comes up to collide with his family jewels. Arthur lets her go and doubles over in a groan, holding both hands between his legs with tears in his eyes.

Móirín reaches for Gillian.

"Don't", an all to well-known voice says calmly threateningly. Nevertheless, Merlin picks up a sword of a fallen men of the host.

Just as Morgana wants to turn to face the one, a tossing swirl catches her attention, which strikes at

Móirín. Her troop-leader collapses over Gillian with four metal stings sticking out of her like thorns, yet two stings vanish at Móirín's back.

Uncontrolled images of Morgause's death and her burying her half-sister flash up her mind.

Gwaine faced Morgana's hatred stare, but Morgana rolls over towards Móirín and turns to remember the voice behind her.

"You!"

"Morgana, please turn. Before it will be too late. There is still ..."

"Merlin, I haven't forgotten anything! No one scored today!", she spat at him, "We'll meet again!"

Morgana embraces the woman in her arms and begins to chant: "Bedyrne us! Astyre us thanonweard!"**(²*)**

In a swooping gush, they both rise and fade up to the canopy of trees and disappear.

The spell is broken, so Elyan's and Lancelot's muscles sag. Elyan leans onto a tree trunk, Lancelot sustains himself by holding his hands on his knees.

The gust scatters to reveal an astonished Mordred besides the still burning tree, who faces them standing all alone. He looks from Gwaine to Arthur laying on the ground and anger fills his eyes. "We are the persecuted and damned ones his father didn't caught to kill! This fight isn't over, yet!"

Unnoticed, Elyan moves slowly towards his crossbow at the same time. He reaches and very slowly draws.

Mordred's and Merlin's eyes meet in one last fighting glance. "I won't leave behind and betray my kin, Emrys." Mordred's voice sounds all to clear in Merlin's mind.

"Fomaeth me!" Mordred commands and his eyes flash in the same amber light, as does a concealed stone amulet beneath his shirt.

Percival moves towards Mordred and stops in surprise to be confronted with thin air, for a magpie flaps to fly away and taunts them.

Elyan aims his reloaded crossbow. However, he misses his only chance and the bird gets out of their sight. The bolt to be burnt in the sizzling tree.

"Could anybody please free me here, it's going to get hot here if that one comes down!" Gwaine shouts, indicating at the fire.

Elyan and Lancelot move to lift Arthur, who is yet not fully awaken. Percival and Merlin react to help Gwaine. Merlin hastily pulls out a clean cloth from his neck-strapped, big bag. Then Percival holds Gwaine's shoulders and Merlin the injured thigh.

"That's going to hurt", Merlin warns Gwaine, "Ready?"

Gwaine only nods.

"Now!"

They jerk him from the branch of the tree. Gwaine outcries in pain. They drag him some steps aslant, before they risk to lay him down.

Merlin covers the wound and its bleeding with the cloth. "Caltrops aren't meant to throw", he tries to enliven him jokingly.

Elyan and Lancelot have stopped to wait further away with Arthur hanging limply in their midst. It is Lancelot, who answers puzzled: "What about you, Merlin, throwing Alchemist's fire?"

Merlin smirks back: "There must be something we've got to remember from the Greeks!"

"Speaking of fire, it's time for us to go!" Percival reminds them.

Merlin nods towards Percival and Gwaine: "Are you two able to make it, I'll care for Gillian."

"Hurry!", Percival answers.

"Go on!", Merlin says to the others. He sidesteps to run for his friend.

No time too early, for the first ignited branches start to fall down and inflame the fir needles.

Smoke already surrounds Merlin as he reaches his friend. Raindrops start to fall, which make the smolder no better to see and breathe in.

Merlin can just detect a slight up and down of Gillian's respiration. By taking him in his arms, Merlin realizes Gillian's fingertips to be scorched.

In his despair and fear for his friend, he only cries out one word into the raining, gray sky: "Kilgharrah!"

Some distance in between, Percival and Gwaine stop in hearing Merlin's call. They look at each other non-understandingly. Elyan and Lancelot are further ahead of them and away.

Percival shrugs answering. "Don't ask me!"

Gwaine gestures to help Merlin: "Merlin! Are you …?" His voice hoarse with the pain and smoke.

"Let me be! GO!", Merlin screams at the knight instead, but not seeing him anymore.

Gwaine presses his lips tight, nods and turns to Percival. He beckons to go on.

As they turn away, Gwaine muses that he has heard that word before, but his weary mind can't come up with the answer at that incident.

CHAPTER 5: "Móirín, Mordred and Morgana":

Part 3: … and influences the future.

Sir Doran and his soldiers are already searching the island, as Lord Ambrosius slams the door open to the woman's weaving room.

She looks up stunted and stops her work. "Why don't you flee!"

"I won't leave you here alone. They're coming!", he answers.

"I know. You're the only one of us who they are really able to accuse and harm! Besides, I'm not alone!" She arises and glances at Gwen, sitting at her table, and at Gaius, who is still sleeping uneasily in her bed.

Lord Ambrosius shakes his head and enters the room, although sounds can be heard from the stairways.

" Go!", she shouts at him.

"No", he says stubbornly, "I will stay with you."

"Go! Goooh ...", her voice trails off.

Both women's faces go pale in looking at a point behind him. The Lord turns around.

Soldiers in the red color of Camelot block the doorway and just part to let a knight pass.

"Sir Doran!" Gwen stands up from the table.

"Myladies. Mylord." Sir Doran greets them formally with a slight nod. "I'm afraid my coming here is being ordered by Sir Leon to take you all back to Camelot."

"That can't be", Gwen whispers, more to herself, disbelievingly.

"You can't do this", Lord Ambrosius says indignantly.

"Indeed, I can. You will be questioned to answer how much you are involved in certain magical items, among other things."

Lord Ambrosius snorts. "That should be a minor problem in comparison to the evil we've been facing."

"That is my duty, my Lord, and I am going to attend to it", the knight says calmly. "Please don't cause a stir about it." Three red-suited men enter further into the room now, two stay at the doorway outside.. "It will be easier for both sides this way."

Lord Ambrosius stares at the knight, body tensed like a cat ready to jump, with a look that could kill if it was a knife.

"What has happened to Gaius", Sir Doran wants to know looking at the tree of them, not addressing someone specific. For his brown eyes speak more than his words.

"He tried to help me and he had an accident on the instant. But this involves no ill-doing of anyone here. Just the contrary, they've cared for him, as for me I couldn't have done it." Gwen explains by trying to be as honest and as matter-of-factual as she can master.

The Lady of Shalotts sighs and starts to weave again. Her blue eyes are sad, her body posture subdued. She appears to be aged in years within moments.

Sir Doran averts his eyes from the gazing contest with the Lord and moves towards the Lady of Shalott.

"Don't touch her," the Lord says threateningly, "she has been cursed. No one knows exactly what will happen if she leaves this very room with the loom and the mirror!"

"I regret to say that I have no choice in the matter." With that just said, he tries to drag the Lady of Shallot away by her arm and off her stool. Being taken aback, the Lady of Shalott let the shuttle fall to the ground with a knocking sound.

"You can't do that! I am a Lord", Lord Ambrosius emphasizes every word of the last sentence and tries to interfere. The knight stops and the Lords beloved stand up fully and proudly, despite still being held by the knight.

"She has been cursed by a witch not to leave this very room with the loom or she will be doomed!"

The Lord just receives an angry look from the knight. "Do you really believe in this! This is just a mockingly foolish trick!"

"I would be glad to learn that this could truly have been an alternative." The Lady stats dryly and sadly, trying to cool down their tempers.

"You shouldn't dare to try!" Lord Ambrosius threatens.

"We'll see." With this just said, the knight gently pushes the Lady of Shalott towards the door, putting his body between him and the Lord.

Lord Ambrosius tries to move for preventing exactly that, only to be held back by two soldiers on his shoulder. The third one accompanies Sir Doran and the Lady.

Lord Ambrosius bites his lips. "Don't", he whispers in a foreseeing but apparently helpless attempt.

The Lady's foot steps into the threshold, as her whole body bends over backward, while she shrieks out loudly. The two men have their effort in holding the Lady in her rapid movements, in which the three of them are forced to withdraw into the room again.

Gaius' body jolts, but a splintering sound catches the attention of them all.

Instantly, the mirror has gone blind with clouds of black fog swirling in it. The upper left corner, the one nearest to the window, is cracked in fine lines.

As they all take in their breath again, for they all have unconsciously withhold it, the sound of growling thunder coming nearer can be heard from outside. The sky has turned into a darkening gray outside of the window.

"Please, let me stay", the Lady begs softly spoken.

Moments pass silently which leaves for her remark dangling in the endangered atmosphere of the room. All eyes turn to Sir Doran for a decision.

The knight takes his time to answer carefully: "Well then. This room will be guarded as well as your servants, my Lady. The others will be escorted back. Do I have your word that none of you won't impede any further?"

All three of them express their agreement, Lord Ambrosius as the latest. "I promise", he compels constrained, while he hurries to steady his trembling beloved, although the two soldiers still hold her as they move to her stool again.

More soldiers are ordered to enter the room, which gets really crowded with people. One is assigned to come up with a stretcher, whether improvised or not.

With shaking hands and tears in her eyes, the Lady of Shalott starts to weave again. Her eyes only looking into the mirror with side-glances.

As they are directed out of the room, Lord Ambrosius turns once again. "I love you."

She withholds her hand. "I love you, too." Her respond mainly to be read off her moving lips than to be heard aloud.

Lord Ambrosius nods to his beloved. "Don't worry, promise me."

Her eyes answer just the contrary.

"Thank you", Gwen manages to say to her, before she is forced to go.

Disappearing sounds leave her to be wrapped in silence except for the whispers of the mirror only she is able to hear. She weaves on and the tears she held back escaped the corners of her eyes.

A soft knock disturbs the grave silence and her most trusted maid runs to her. The maid passes the guards at the door and leaves her own their. She falls to her knees in front of the Lady and sobs in the Lady's lap.

The Lady stops her weaving and caresses her hair.

The sky has gone even darker, and in a sudden salvation, the heavy clouds pour down their wet capacity down to the earth.

The Lady of Shalott looks from her guards at the mirror on the wall. Its regained reflection is dimmed by gloomy light coming in from outside the world.

The crack in its corner stays there to remind her.

**XXX**

For his magic alone is Merlin able to save his and Gillian's lives and save them in the open of the ash-covered lands. To watch the wood spread in fire adds to Merlin's envisioned horror to loose yet another friend laying in his very arms.

The sky darkens and opens in a relief its resources to downpour, which brings a spark of hope for the wood.

Rapidly it has gotten so dark that Merlin cannot make out the shape of the dragon, until he lands not afar besides him and Gillian.

"So now you know why I call her the 'witch' Morgana!" His undertone has returned.

"How could I've known it, she gathered all the fled magical-gifted to counter-strike against Camelot!"

"Should you have expected anything different? She just claims what she thinks is her own in right and birth!"

"It's Arthur's, not her's!"

"That's what you and I think, not her. That's what we should accomplish to gain. So you've learned your lesson. For what are you calling me now?"

"Please, help my friend. I have to return to the others as soon as I can. He needs strong magic or he will die before long."

"Mh", the dragon pauses. "Your wish shall be granted, for he is one of us." Smoothly Kilgharrah arises and Merlin steps aback, leaving Gillian outstretched. Pouring rain already soaked them completely. "I will do my very best.", he paces to come near.

Softly Kilgharrah touches Gillian with on talon of his claws and closes his eyes.

Slowly Kilgharrah opens his eyes to look at Merlin. "It will take time. Care for him well."

Merlin nods, his tears to be absorbed by the rain: "Thank you."

"Merlin, I appreciate your calling for me to subdivide your powers. You will need everything you have in time. That is what friends and kin are for. " He pauses shortly: "On the subject, you should return to yours soon." With one claw he directs Merlin's attention sideways.

Out of nowhere, so it seems, a king soldier's horse gone astray conjures up and shuffles towards them, its head down for its mood in the rain.

Kilgharrah recedes for space and starts to flap.

"See you", Merlin bids his farewell.

Kilgharrah bows by craning his long neck and rises to fly away.

**XXX**

The fighting with the people of the host turned out horribly. Although the leaders of the host were obviously gone, which turned out to be their luck. Arthur's men outnumbered them, but his knights and soldiers fought with swords, poisoned bolts, bare hands and brawl tricks against magical gifted who used magical devices. They were overpowered, not in a men's accounting, but for pure power and only the unorganized attack of their opponents and the pouring rain made it possible for the knights and soldiers to fight or flee from the people of the host in using deceiving means.

Too many died. As they returned to the open, only three heavily injured soldiers could be found alive.

On total, only thirty-three men returned to Camelot out of seventy-eight, most of them injured to heavily injured. Additionally, a village had been burnt of which they found seventeen refugees to return with them towards Camelot, among them the girl Gillian had carried. Arthur nearly collapsed but didn't want to show a hint of it, his face, neck and hands skin-deeply burnt, he had been forcing his weak body up to his limits. Gwaine injured. Gillian fighting for any strength left in his body to breath. More than half of the horses were dead or couldn't be found again.

The rain still poured down on them on the burnt and barren land. Though it prevented a forest fire. Their horses and the men's legs sank knee-deep into the mud. Both added to endanger infection.

Merlin had to try hard if he could think of any time worse. There had been rare occasions, yes.

He could only name a few.

Author's notes:

Well, there is only one more chapter to go before the final one. Please tell me, what you think, if you feel like it. I am getting quite fond of messaging here at FanFiction ;.), besides other means.

By the way, I know that the historically transmitted "Alchemist's fire", or what little is known about it, is a bit different from the one I describe here. But I take as well my freedom of imagination in a Fantasy world as do the writers of BBC one, i. e. for the person of Geoffrey of Monmouth. I guess you know what I am hinting at ;.)

**Disclaimer:**

**(****¹*****)** Quotations from the episode "A sorcerer's shadow", series 3, episode 11.

**(²*)** Quotations from the episode "The fires of Idirsholas", series 2, episode 12.

The **Lady of Shallot** and her magical web belong to the correspondent poem by Lord Alfred Tennyson. I just twisted a bit its content.

I found the name **"Móir****í****n"** on www. behindthename. com. It's Gaelic and it's the diminutive and female form for "Great".

All characters in the story belong to the creators of **"Merlin" by BBC One** and their affiliates except for the ones which will be mentioned here  which are for in this content "Arthur's choice " in order of appearance: Julia, Lord Ambrosius of Rosedale, Móirín (in this connection), The Host of The Old Ways (in connection with BBC's "Old Ways" of the past referred to in Merlin), the Seneschal of Camelot Lord Angus of Dorn, Sir Doran and the wording for the magical intonations I have not quoted and made up on my own.


End file.
